For its reopening after two years of renovations, Fotomuseum Winterthur recently created a satirical video claiming 'Switzerland is fake.' Working with JUNE Corporate Communications and AI artist Patrick Karpiczenko, the video featured AI-generated content that questioned Switzerland's authenticity and played with various disinformation tropes — from mind control through yodeling to Swiss command of global finance.
It's a clever marketing exercise tied to the museum's new exhibition, "The Lure of the Image — How Images Seduce Online." The campaign's rapid-fire clips mimic disinformation tactics to make audiences question what they see online. As the museum says: "In a world of AI and fake news, it is more important than ever to scrutinize, actively reflect on and critically examine images."
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By weaponizing the tools of misinformation to promote media literacy, Fotomuseum Winterthur taps into a deep cultural undercurrent: "What's real, and who decides?" As the tidal wave of synthetic content continues to swell (AI images, deepfakes, virtual influencers), Fake Switzerland reflects a growing need for clarity and critique. It also suggests a way for institutions to forge deeper, more meaningful relationships with their audiences — invite them to question rather than simply consume.
